


To The New Moon and Back

by FennecFoundaPencil



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Art, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Terminal Illnesses, constant pop culture references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 09:08:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27848282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FennecFoundaPencil/pseuds/FennecFoundaPencil
Summary: Remus Lupin knew very little outside the safety of his home and local hospital, with ten years on the clock he takes his chances at experiencing a 'normal' life.What he least expected was to be swept up by some rich optimist with too much time and not enough foresight.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm probably going to upload like once every two weeks, and yes, art included ;)

At 11 Remus asked his parents if he could start public school. To put it simply, the answer was a resounding no. He hadn’t understood back then, no eleven year old would. He cried and stomped and begged, he wanted to be _normal,_ he wanted _friends,_ he didn’t get _it._ His mother had excused herself from the table, pale, while father sat quietly, saying nothing to his tantrum. Looking back Remus realized they hadn’t stopped him or chided him because they didn’t blame him, they too, if in his position, would be upset. It wasn’t until two years later that they sat him down and had the talk. 

Not the talk about sex, or drugs, no, the talk about death. 

At fourteen Remus sat quietly and listened as his own parents explained to him that more likely than not Remus wouldn’t make it to 30. They kept him on home lockdown not because they didn’t love him or want him to make friends, but simply because he was too easy to break. He didn’t know what to make of that answer back then, but he did now.

Nineteen, with at most a good ten years left Remus decided to go to university. Make a wish made it free, he’d major in English and have the option to skip any classes he felt he needed to. His parents were scared, terrified even, that he’d leave and never come home, at least not in one piece. He assured them ten times over he’d be okay. It wasn’t as if he planned to go sky-diving between classes and he got a dorm all to himself so as long as he was careful he should be fine. Extremely reluctant they eventually let him leave, he still swears his dad had been crying, even though the man tries to deny it. 

* * *

The first day of class was underwhelming. Remus sat in the back, clad in a large jumper and soft sweats. He listened to the professor go over his syllabus as slow as humanly possible, even stopping to answer questions _._ There was nothing to question, it was a _syllabus._ In Remus’s opinion just about everything was already laid out for them. Maybe his classmates just wanted to waste time but he really didn’t see the point since they were spending money to be there. The boy beside him, an endearingly chubby guy with a permanently nervous furrow etched between his brows eyed Remus’s face. He’d been staring off and on since Remus had sat down. Remus would be lying if he said he had enough social experience to tell if it were normal. 

“Did your parents used to put fags out on you or something?” The boy whispered to him, leaning across the polite amount of space their seating formation put between them. Remus tilted his head toward the boy, touching one of the many white circular scars on his face. 

“No, I have a skin condition,”

“A skin condition?”

“Yeah, I’m dying,”

The boy stared, paling at the realization there was no joke. “Shit man, I’m sorry,”

“Don’t be sorry,” Remus replied with a practiced tone. “What’s your name?”

“Peter,” The boy held out his hand to Remus, who stared at it blankly for a moment before shaking his head. Peter deflated.

“Are you mad at me?”

“No,” Remus lifted up his arm and pulled down the sleeve of his sweater. Fresh blisters shone in the class lights, a few bleeding. They trickled like creek stones from the joints of his fingers to the sensitive skin at the inner bend of his elbow. “Skin condition,” 

Peter dropped his hand. “Does it hurt?”

Remus just huffed and pulled the sleeve back down until it covered up to his fingertips. “Yes, it hurts,” 

At the front of the class the professor wrapped up what he was explaining about grades, already students began packing their things. Peter shifted in his seat. 

“The athletic society is holding a party at Black’s house while his parents are away in Egypt, you should come,” 

A party. A university party. Remus had watched movie after movie that focused around those. There were a million ways it could go wrong, but the temptation of feeling normal for once was too strong for Remus to say no. 

“Here’s my phone number, text me the details,” Remus said plainly, jotting down his full name along with his number on a sticky-note before handing it over to Peter. Peter tentatively took it from his hand, taking care not to touch his skin. Remus appreciated it. 

“I’m sorta friends with Black, him and James, kinda a wanker but he’s funny,” Peter offered. “You’ll get along with him I think, you’re funny,”

Remus paused. “You think I’m funny?”

“In a blunt sorta way yeah,” 

Remus considered that. “Thanks,”

Peter shook his head with a laugh. “See? Who thanks someone for that?”

“Am I not supposed to?”

“No, no, it’s fine Remus,” The professor dismissed their class, waving his hands in a ‘ _be gone’_ motion. Peter began to pack up his things, nodding to himself. “I’ll see you around, really do consider coming to the party,” 

Remus nodded to him, packing his things up as well, albeit more slowly than Peter had. He wasn’t exactly excited to sit in his dorm doing absolutely nothing for a few hours until his next class. Just about every hobby aside reading and watching television was _‘too dangerous’_ for him. Considering his age and time limit it wasn’t like he could get into anything new now anyways. 

University parties proved to be not as exciting as the media made them out to be. He and Peter had been texting for about a week now. Even Remus was socially fluent enough to know that made them friends. Peter liked movies about the books Remus liked and while they weren’t exactly the same it gave them things to talk about. A big hit between the two was Star Wars. They agreed on just about everything regarding the plot and characters up until Peter admitted he _liked_ Luke and Leia together. Even a homeschooled shut in like Remus knew that that was _weird._

Taste in fiction aside, parties were a lot less dramatic dancing and making out as they were drinking beer, loud music, and even louder talking. Remus couldn’t drink beer, one shot too many and his liver would be down for the count. Remus himself would be down for the count, he wasn’t looking to die at his first real party. Nor could he talk loudly, god forbid he rip his vocal cords. The teen just nursed an apple juice disguised as beer in one of the back corners of the living room. Every now and then someone would glance over at him, a few girls spoke in hushed voices about his scars. He couldn’t hear them, but he knew they were based off of the not so subtle pointing he was currently on the receiving end of. Remus chugged the rest of his apple juice and pushed himself off the wall. With a disappointed sigh he tossed the empty bottle into the nearest trash can. It had been a total waste of his night, Peter had only stuck around for around ten minutes before ditching to play some pong game and never coming back. Sure Remus could have tried to make some friends but once again it's not as if anyone would have been able to hear him over the music. 

While going home was the most reasonable course of action Remus instead found himself wandering up the stairs of the party house. (He forgot to mention how large the place was, really, it was a mansion.) Sitting alone studying or reading when he had a perfectly good chance of ending up in a situation that was fun seemed too depressing, even for him. Remus placed a hand on the stair railing to brace himself as he went up, a bit dizzy from standing in the same place for so long. When he reached the top another party-goer eyed his fucked up hand, Remus blushed and pulled his sleeve down to cover it. Fuck, it was a lot brighter up there. Taking effort not to touch the girl he made his way down the first hall, identical door after door filled the passage, canvassed by victorian looking family portraits. He couldn't even begin to guess which would be a bathroom and honestly didn’t even care if the room he hid in was one so Remus just entered the first room that was slightly open. 

Inside sat a long black haired boy propped up against the frame of a bed with a journal on his lap. He didn’t notice Remus when he entered, continuing to write contently. Remus took in the dark tattoos trailing down his exposed arms, the boy’s ripped up jeans and pierced eyebrow. Now this was the kind of person the movies prepared him for. What they didn’t prepare him for was the way the person would look up at him, eyes widening first in shock, then in awe. 

“Dude, you survive an explosion or some shit?”

Remus looked behind himself, then stuttered, taken aback. Not many people were bold enough to be so well...rude. 

“No, I just have really sensitive skin,”

“Acne scars?”

“Something like that,”

The stranger scoffed and put down his journal. The movement caused a flex in his arms that caught Remus’s attention. 

“You’re lucky they look cool Moony,”

“Moony?” Remus asked. The man nodded and stood up, walking over to him. He pointed to a scar on the side of Remus’s face. 

“See, this one is the biggest on your face, it’s almost a perfect circle with these ridges on it and shit, it looks like the moon,” 

“Do you give every guy you meet a nickname?” Remus asked, ignoring how something this mundane made his chest pound. _I’m like a real normal kid getting teased by the greasers._

“I give every guy I wanna be friends with one, Sirius Black at your service,” Sirius gave him a flamboyant bow, wink and all. Remus bit back a smile.

“Remus Lupin,”

“Ah, another strange named kid like myself,” Sirius mused. “Glad to know I’m not the only guy hated by his parents,”

Remus rolled his eyes. “I like my name, however you feel about your own is your problem,”

“It’s always the pretty ones,” Sirius let out a sad sigh then leaned in again to look over Remus’s face. “Do you have any more moon freckles?”

“Moon freckles?”

“Scars,”

“Oh, yeah,” Remus motioned for Sirius to step back and he did. Honestly the boy didn’t know why he was about to do this, maybe it was the fact since the moment he’d entered the room he hadn’t seen an ounce of pity in Sirius’s eyes, or maybe it was the psychological effect of drinking his apple juice out of an old beer bottle. The teen gripped the hem of his sweater and pulled it over his head, cold air scattering against the patches of his skin that could still feel it. Sirius whistled and held out a hand. 

“Can I touch them?”

“No, they’ll tear,”

Sirius laughed and dropped his hand. “Sounds right awful mate,”

Remus shrugged, it was his life. Even with the white galaxies that marred Remus’s skin on display there was no look of sadness or pity from Sirius. If anything all the boy did was walk around him and look intently at each scar as if he were mentally mapping out constellations. 

“They make you look cool you know, like a Dalmatian,”

“Glad to know they make someone happy,” Remus deadpanned. Sirius came back to stand in front of him, shaking his head.

“That just won’t do Moony, if you can’t get rid of them you might as well enjoy them,”

“Enjoy them?’

“Yeah, embrace them!” Sirius picked his sweater up from the floor and brushed it off, hands lingering. “This is really soft,”

“Yeah,”

Sirius smiled and handed it back to him. “I think spending this much time up here makes me a crappy host, c’mon I’ll make you a Sirius special,”

“I can’t drink,” Remus answered honestly. He slipped his sweater back on with little damage, normally there was at least a bit of scraping. Sirius waved his hand dismissively. 

“I can make it virgin, now c’mon,” 

Sirius led him back down to the living room and got to making his ‘ _Sirius Special,’_ A few of his friends came over to talk to him as he did. One friend in particular kept drifting back after leaving to talk to a redheaded girl in the kitchen. He fretted and gushed to Sirius about everything she said or did, seeming very anxious despite how cool he was pretending to be around her. Remus stayed quiet and watched their interactions with a faintly amused smile. Sirius spoke about flirting and women like he’d taken a class on it, flicking his long hair back periodically to emphasize what he was saying. The boy finished the sugar overloaded drink he was working on and handed it to Remus with a wink which in turn caused the boy to blush once more. It smelled fruity, he was a bit reluctant to try it. 

“Oi mate, who’s this?” Sirius’s friend asked, annoyed. “You can’t just bring a date and not introduce me!”

“We’re not on a date, Prongs good man, I’m kidnapping him,”

‘Prongs’ nodded his head in understanding, face becoming somber. “You poor soul,” He said to Remus. “Bloody awful this one is,”

Remus took a sip of the drink to avoid answering, he didn’t know how. What tasted like fruit gummies and sour candy flooded his tongue, the drink was akin to something you’d find in the refrigerator of a candy store but stronger. Remus must have made a face because Prongs began to laugh and clapped Sirius on the shoulder.

“Pads without the liquor that drink is pure candy acid, you really are torturing this boy aren’t you?”

Panic flickered through Sirius’s eyes that was replaced with a mischievous smirk. “It’s a loving form of hazing,”

Jokes on him, Remus thought to himself. He was known at his family hospital for having a huge sweet tooth, and while the drink was certainly strong it wasn’t bad. Hell it was probably the closest thing to alcohol he’d ever be allowed to drink. Prongs balked at him when he took another long drink from his solo cup, making Sirius fold over in laughter. 

“Can you not taste?”

“It’s not that bad,”

“Lunatics, the both of you,” Prongs upbraided. “I’m off to check in on Lily, can’t stand to watch you drink anymore of that mate,” 

“That gits name is James by the way,” Sirius offered, obnoxiously loud as to make James aware of the fact he’d forgotten to introduce himself. James. Peter, Sirius, and James. That made three friends now, Remus was...getting okay at this whole university thing. Sirius watched him drink his ‘ _Sirius Special,’_ with content, much less prone to fill the silence with mindless small talk like most people were. The preppy pop music blasting throughout the room didn’t really seem like Sirius’s style but he bobbed his head to it nonetheless. Remus gave him a pointed look.

“What? Music is art no matter how it sounds, _expression,”_ Sirius did that same hair flip he did while talking to James. He was being treated like one of the boys, the thought made him smile. “Is relative,” 

“Who sings this?” Remus asked. Sirius gaped at him and dramatically placed his hands over his forehead.

“Bloody hell Remus you don’t know who Ariana Grande is? And here I thought you were,” Sirius ended his statement with a limp hand gesture that made Remus tilt his head. He wasn’t exactly well versed in pop culture. Sirius did it again then sighed, motioning to the light blue jumper and loose tan pants Remus had on. “ _Mate,”_ He sighed. “Help me out here,”

“My outfit makes you think I like Ariana Grande?” Remus asked, puzzled. Sirius looked lost.

“ _Mate,”_ He repeated uselessly. “You’re wearing Uggs,”

“Sensitive skin,” Remus reminded him. “I can’t wear anything constrictive,” 

Sirius dragged his hands down his face. “Okay, forget it, forget I said anything, give me your number I’m sending you a playlist,” The boy pulled a phone out of his back jean pocket and offered it to Remus. It was a nice phone, one of the new Apples that had just come out. “The password is 11300,” 

Remus put in the code and opened up Sirius’s phone, the wallpaper of it was just as grungy and punk as Sirius dressed, expected but not disappointing. Remus was glad he memorized his phone number when he was 11 for situations like this. He’d read story after story where the main character was able to just tap in their number without having to check it and he also wanted to be that cool. He sent himself a quick text, _this is Sirius,_ and put his name in Sirius’s contacts. When he handed the phone back Sirius shook his head at Remus’s contact information. 

“I gave you the opportunity to put anything and you just put your name? For shame Moony,” Remus flushed and shrugged his shoulders, in the same instant there was a click of Sirius’s camera. 

“Hey what-” 

“I needed a contact picture, check it!” 

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/191343489@N08/50673927916/in/dateposted-public/)

Remus pushed the phone away, blush deepening. “Whatever,”

“Oh, is someone getting shy? Moony doesn’t like his picture taken?” Sirius cooed and leaned into his face, “How cute,”

“Sod off,”

Sirius laughed and fell back onto his heels. He looked down at the picture with a large grin. “I should make this my lockscreen, the dark plaid was getting boring,”

“We’ve just met Sirius,” 

“We could be twin flames,”

“Don’t tell me-”

“ _Listen,”_ Sirius held up his hands. “Astrology, wicca, it has its-”

“Are you serious?”

Sirius halted, then his grin widened even further.

“Don’t,”

“I’m always Sirius,”

Remus grumbled under his breath which only amused Sirius farther. 

“Let’s go back to my room, I can show you my crystals,”

“You have crystals?”

“Don’t knock it till you try it!” Sirius went to grab Remus’s hand and Remus flinched, pulling it back to his chest. Sirius didn’t take it personally, laughing off the grab with a wave. “Sorry, forgot, okay let's go,” 

Remus waited for Sirius to take a few steps then followed after him, once again threading through the crowd with the practiced ease of someone used to avoiding touch. The prospect of going home early became one quickly forgotten. Remus wasn’t sure of how much time passed when James stumbled into the room, chatter downstairs gone but music blaring just as loud. He threw himself between the two looking through old music magazines on Sirius’s bed with a groan. Sirius poked the top of his head, looking at Remus when James didn’t move.

The boy leaned over James to whisper. “Think he’s dead?”

“I’m-na-drunk I’m dead-no-no I’m-”

“Shhh mate,” Sirius pet James’s head. “Sleep, we’ll protect you, that right Moony?”

“Suree,” Remus dragged. “We’ll keep you very safe,” 

Sirius grinned at that and layed the open magazine he was looking through on James back to prop it up. Remus didn’t make it home until the sun was rising, he didn’t regret it all that much either. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a normal week for Remus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> playlist for anyone who wants it   
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MDQyOQ1Jz3HMFRlMxnvG2?si=m7IGcT66Qlm6u6Ygt6U3xw

_ Sirius Black 10:13  _

-attached link-

_ 10:14 _

I didn’t think you’d actually make it

_ Sirius Black 10:14 _

Of course i made it! Professorkeepslookingat me though so imago

_ 10:17 _

I can’t believe you scheduled to have classes on a saturday

Remus smiled at his phone screen from where he laid in bed. He waited a moment longer to see if Sirius was going to reply before powering it off and falling back to sleep. He was exhausted from staying up so late with Sirius the night before. At the time he’d felt more awake than ever but now, god now, he just wanted the sun to go back down. 

It wasn’t until past noon that Remus finally pulled himself out of bed. He stretched his arms until they popped, savoring the feeling. Unlike Sirius he didn’t plan any classes for his saturdays, he could do just about anything, like take a bath.    
Damn a bath sounded  _ really  _ nice.

Within just a few days University had become quite a bit more interesting. Remus spent close to over half his time texting Sirius, even more when he was added to a group chat called the ‘ _ Marauders,’  _ consisting of Sirius himself, James, Peter, and the redheaded girl from the party whose name he learned was Lily. The boys were a lot to take in, especially when Remus was talking to all of them together, Lily made it easier. She invited him out to lunch a week after he’d been in the group chat, insisting he needed to do more socially outside of texting the Marauders and talking to Peter in class. 

They met at a small cafe on campus, Lily ordering an avocado something sandwich while Remus got the ‘ _ soup of the day _ .’ It was a nice day, the warmth from summer lingering enough that Remus didn’t have to worry about drying up. He sipped a hot (more like warm) chocolate and watched Lily stir her coffee. He’d had coffee once when he was 12, it tasted awful, he didn’t know how people drank that stuff. He was brought back from his ever wandering thoughts by Lily letting out a relaxed sigh and sitting back in her seat.

“It’s refreshing to have someone new in the group,” 

“Is it?” Remus asked, shifting in his seat. Lily nodded.

“James and Peter grew up on the same street and Sirius has known James since middle school, between the three of them,” Lily crossed her fingers. “It’s hard sometimes not to feel like I’m an outsider,”

Remus nodded along, listening quietly. He was still polishing up his social skills but it was hard to go wrong if he just politely listened. 

“Anyways, now they’ve got someone new to pick on,” She smiled playfully. 

“How’d you end up joining?”

Lily rolled her eyes, a fond expression playing at her lips. “James and I were in the same Criminal Justice class, he bugged me until I started hanging out with them,”

“Are you two…”

The girl’s face turned as red as her hair. “Me and James? What? No way, he’s- he’s too much, a mess,” 

Her protests weren’t very convincing but Remus didn’t push it. He only knew about crushes and relationships from the few romance novels he read, maybe she did really not like him. Remus didn’t know. Lily mixed her spoon in her coffee and leaned forward.

“You know Remus, you’re Sirius’s hyperfixation of the month,”

“I’m his what?”

Lily waved her hand. “You know those people who get new huge crushes every other day? Sirius is one of them, I wouldn’t take it too seriously, I’m just warning you before he does something stupid. 

Something stupid came in the form of Remus sitting in the back of a dark theater alone with his new self-proclaimed best friend. Peter and James were both conveniently busy, leaving Sirius and Remus alone at the theater. Remus had this sinking suspicion Sirius had told them not to come. He was more amused than offended. The older boy shifted in his seat so he was leaning closer to Remus, leg bouncing. He nonchalantly yawned and laid an arm over Remus’s shoulders. The boy felt himself flush. The touch was steady enough to not pop any of the blisters on his back, at least Sirius was being thoughtful. It wasn’t a bad movie, but it wasn’t all that interesting either. Remus peered at his friend out of the corner of his eye. 

“Sirius?”

“Yeah Moony?” Sirius turned to him with a smirk. 

“Mind me asking what you’re doing?”

Sirius sat up straighter. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”

Remus stared blankly at him, not convinced by his ‘ _ I’m not doing anything,’  _ attitude. 

“You know Moony I’ve been wondering, can you have sex or would it kill you?”

Remus choked.

_ What. _

“I mean, I’m positive you couldn’t bottom but-”

“SIRIUS,” Remus slapped his hand over Sirius’s mouth. “ _ No!” _

Sirius gently took his wrist and removed his hand. “No? You can’t?”

“Is that what this is about? Are you trying to sleep with me?”

Sirius’s cheeks turned pink. “N-no-”

“God,” Remus shrugged him off and got up, grabbing his things. He couldn’t fucking believe this guy. He thought they were friends, friends didn’t take them on shitty movie dates to get a shag. 

“Wait! Moony, c’mon, it’s all in good fun!” Sirius got up to follow him, almost forgetting to grab his jacket. 

“All in good fun? Fuck you Sirius,”

Sirius’s face fell. 

“Moony…”

“What,”

“I didn’t mean it like that, it's just, you’re good looking, I’m good looking, I thought-”

“You thought wrong Sirius, I don’t even date-”

Sirius halted. “You’re 19 aren’t you?”

“Yeah?” 

His friend waved his hand, “Please, please tell me you’ve dated someone before,”

“Of course I haven’t, I barely left my house up until this year,”

“Remus, dating is a key component of being a teenager!” 

“Why do you care?”

Sirius dramatically shook his head, waving his hands. “This just won’t do, you know what Moony? I’m going to date the bloody socks off you,” A mischievous grin graced his face. “Mark my words,” 

“I’m going home,”

Sirius didn’t run to stop him, just crossing his arms with a smug look on his face. No doubt he expected Remus to be fawning over him by the end of whatever this charade was going to be. Remus wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction, home-school shut in or not, he had standards. 

  
  


_ Sirius Black 14:00 _

good morning moony!

_ 14:03 _

Hey Sirius. 

_ Sirius Black 14:04 _

Wyd

_ 14:04 _

I don’t know what that means.

_ Sirius Black 14:05 _

whatcha doin

_ 14:07 _

I just got to class. Speaking of which, I have to turn my phone off, talk to you later.

_ Sirius Black 14:07 _

:( 

_ Sirius Black 9:30 _

moony a concert is coming into town!!!!! go with me!!!

_ 9:32 _

I have a doctors appt

_ Sirius Black 9:35 _

I haven’t told you what day it was yet 

  
  


_ Sirius Black 10:20 _

Do you think you could handle skydiving?

  
  


_ Sirius Black 13:42 _

Ever been to the beach?

  
  


_ Sirius Black 13:46 _

No doubt you’ve heard about my reputation by now, let me just say, what the ladies are spreading is true ;)

“Remus! I was just looking for you,” James called from down the hall. Remus turned to him, pausing his conversation with Peter. James lit up more to see he’d encounter two of his friends, not just one. “Peter! Perfect, I was just going to text you guys about going out for drinks this weekend,” 

“Who’s coming?” Remus asked. James hummed. 

“The usuals of course, as well as a few of Lily’s friends, Marlene, Mary, Dorcas-”

Peter stood up straighter. “Dorcas is coming?”

“Yeah, gonna be a real full house, I expect you two will be attendees?”

Remus shrugged. “I’ll go if you can get Sirius off my back,”

James laughed and pat Remus’s shoulder good-heartedly, he tried not to wince. “Let him have his fun Remus, he’ll be over it in a few weeks,”

“I don’t think I can survive a few weeks, he keeps adding sappy love songs to our playlist,”

Peter tilted his head at him. “Your playlist?”

“Yeah, do you all not have any?”

“I’ve made some for Lily,”

“Blokes don’t exactly make playlists for other blokes unless they’re...ya know,” Peter trailed, looking lost. 

“Unless they’re flirting which is of course nothing wrong, right Peter?” James' voice came out almost authoritative, eyes narrowed at his friend. Peter swallowed and nodded. 

“We’re not,” Remus stated plainly.”He’s just, I don’t know, amusing himself,” 

James’ eyes were fond. “He does a lot of that,” 

“Are you…” Peter waved his hand. “You know, uh, a bloke who likes blokes?”

Remus blinked at him. “I wouldn’t know,” 

“You’ll know soon enough, university isn’t university without a little messing around,” 

“Messing around?”

“God you’re just adorable,” James ruffled his hair before turning to Peter. “Wormtail, bring that boombox your mom got you,” 

“Last time we tried to overpower the bar’s music we got kicked out,”

“That was last time, this is this time,”

They’d be drinking again, Remus realized. University students did a lot of drinking, if he wanted to fit in he’d have to find a way to also get, what, wasted? Pissed? He didn’t exactly know which term people actually used in normal conversation. 

“Right mates, well I’m off, see you this weekend!” With that James walked off, leaving a slightly annoyed Peter and a contemplative Remus behind. The two exchanged a glance before walking to their classes. 

Lucky for Remus he had a doctors appointment that Thursday. He was practically vibrating in his seat when Dr. Moody, or as some of the kids who came to that hospital liked to call him, Mad Eye. He gave Remus the usual lecture about what he needed to be doing if he wanted to “ _ live another 20 years. _ ” Badgering on about the differences between suggestion and requirement. The teen patiently waited until he was finished, fidgeting with a rubix cube he snatched from the waiting room. 

“Your old man tells me you’re in school now, don’t go breaking anything,” The doctor adjusted his fake eye. “Your lifespan is a projection not a promise boy, no ‘ _ final stretch,’  _ bullshit, you’re too smart,”

Remus nodded along, though silently he was arguing that yes, this was his final stretch whether everyone else liked it or not. That train of thought used to make him shiver, now it just settled pleasantly beneath his skin. 

Mad Eye filled out Remus’s check-up report and sent his pain medication prescription to their local pharmacy. Meanwhile the boy looked all around the small room, swaying in his seat. Mad Eye sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Out with it boy, what’s got you buzzing?”

“I want to start a new pain medication,”

Mad Eye nodded, wary. “What kind?”

“CBD,”

The doctor paused, thinking it over. “Remus, you’ll be-“

“High? Yeah I know,”  _ That’s the point.  _ “I don’t drive, I don’t have any lung problems,”

Mad Eye shook his head. “You could hurt yourself,”

“I’ll make sure I have someone with me! C’mon, if I’ve gotta take all these meds I might as well have some fun,” 

“Don’t whine,” The doctor chided. He looked over all of Remus’s medications, thinking it over. Remus started to become antsy, fingers moving his cube’s plates a bit faster. If Mad Eye approved of him smoking he could at least be as out of it as the rest of his friends when they partied. “I’ll get you 600mg, I trust you not to misuse it Remus, it’s for your pain and your pain only,”

Remus nodded eagerly. “Yes Sir,”

The Doctor studied him a moment more before relenting and putting the order in. “Any and all-“

“Side effects you need to hear about, yes, I know Moody,”

Remus got his CBD pen that friday. He sat with it in his dorm, just, staring. He’d never smoked before, he always took pills or shots. It really couldn’t be that different. Drugs were drugs. His blisters and tears weren’t any more painful than usual, he didn’t  _ really  _ need to smoke at that very moment. Remus placed the pen on his bedside table and fell back on his bed, frowning. He could do the very disgusting task of popping his blisters like he was supposed to. That always hurt like hell, he’d have a reason to be smoking. However, he told Moody he’d only smoke with someone present to keep him from hurting himself, and, well, he was alone. He also didn’t want anyone to see him pop blisters, that was gross. 

God but if he didn’t pop them they’d get worse and he’d already put it off and he had the pain meds to be able to handle it right there on high bedside- Remus groaned and rolled over onto his side. Lily would probably be the most understanding. Remus grabbed his phone, sending her a quick message. 

She replied within a few minutes. 

_ Lily Evans 15:37 _

I can’t handle gross stuff like that, James is obsessed with pimple popping videos though he might help you 

_ 15:38  _

Help me? I don’t need help, I just need someone to come over while I get high.

_ 15:40 _

Call James, it’d be a good bonding moment for you two 

Remus slackened his arms to let his phone sit against his forehead. He wanted to see how he reacted to the CBD before the weekend, and, well, having someone- god he’d feel like a child again if someone had to help him with his skin. 

He did end up texting James, who was as Lily predicted very excited to hang out with him. Remus couldn’t tell whether it was getting to feel like someone was depending on him or getting to get contact high that James was more excited for. 

He brought snacks, most of which Remus couldn’t eat but he appreciated the sentiment. They sat on Remus’s bed, James watching amused as Remus choked on his first puff. 

“James don’t-“

“C’mon I wanna touch one so bad they’re just,” James made grabby hands at Remus’s arm and the teen shook his head. 

“You’re going to tear up my skin, just let me do it,”

“You can’t feel it can you?”

“No, not really,”

“What if you cut too much without knowing it? Gimme the scalpel mate,”

“James no, I got this,”

“Just one, please,”

“You’re so weird, no,”

“FUCK!”

“JAMES JESUS CHRIST!”

Remus glared at James from where he was propped up in a hospital bed, tight bandages kept more blood from leaving his arm while a blood transfusion bag drained more into him. It’d be a week before his arm was healed enough for him to leave, James the fucking prat let his hand slip. 

“Oi, I thought I had a better grasp, how was I to know it could cut you that bad just sliding?” 

Remus narrowed his eyes at James before promptly huffing and looking toward his room’s window. James sputtered, eyes still a bit red. The blood that had spilled on his sleeves was now a crusty brown color. Breaking the silence James’ phone began to vibrate. The student pulled it out and left Remus alone to answer it. When Mad Eye heard about this he was going to be pissed. He hadn’t even finished his first semester and was already bedbound in the university’s medcenter. 

His friend returned with a grin. “I’ve got football practice but Sirius is on his way here to keep you company,” 

Remus groaned and covered his face with his uninjured hand. “Couldn’t you have told Lily instead?”

“Lily would have my head, now I’m off, no  _ strenuous  _ activities, doctors orders,”

“Oh sod off,” 

Sirius brought with him a book, leg bouncing where he sat in the chair beside Remus’s bed. They exchanged banter, but Sirius was off, a concerned glint crossing his eyes whenever Remus lifted his bandaged arm. Remus appreciated the sentiment, but it wasn’t as if this was his first time in a hospital bed. The longest he’d stayed had been two months when he came down with a sore throat that just about tore up all the dermis in his esophagus. It felt like a blessing each day he woke up while battling with that one. In comparison a cut was nothing, it’d heal slowly but it’d heal. In the end the scar would look no different from all the others he had, no harm no foul. 

He still wanted James’ head on a pike for it, but he’d be fine. 

“It’s weird seeing you actually uh, suffering,” Sirius commented with a nervous laugh. Remus just gave him a look, unimpressed.The man smiled at him. “You look small,”

“Shut up,”

“Make me,” 

Remus rolled over in his bed while Sirius barked out a laugh, endlessly amused. Only Sirius would try to flirt with someone currently hooked up to a literal bag of blood. 

“I assume you won’t be able to make the do this weekend,” Sirius continued, moving on despite Remus making it very obvious he wasn’t interested in talking. “Cheers though mate, I didn’t really want to go either, we can lounge here,”

“We?” Remus mumbled. Sirius didn’t really intend to stay in the hospital with him instead of going out to drink did he?

“Yeah, we, my family has a private doctor so I don’t go places like here a lot, there’s so much to explore,”

“You don’t just ‘explore’ medical centers, Sirius,”

“You’re serious?”

“Shut up,”

Sirius set down his book and walked around Remus’s bed to grin at him somewhere Remus could see. 

“I’m bringing in my xbox tomorrow,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

**Author's Note:**

> I live off of Wolfstar content


End file.
